Mixing and forming device



Dec. 15, 1931. w. w. HELLE 1,836,026

MIXING AND FORMING DEVICE Filed April 12, 1930 2 Shets-Sheet 1 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Dec. 15, 1931. w. w. HELLE I 1,836,026

MIXING AND FORMING DEVICE Filed April 12, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 15, 1931 mu, or'cmcAeo, rumors, .A conrom rion O'FJLLINQISH 1 MIXING i) romaine Davies Application and 1 ,111 112, 1936. s m. 443,682.. g

My invention relates in general to mixing and forming'devices. Itrelates more in particular to a small hand device tdaptablefor use 'by the ordinary housewifefor'mixing coloring matter with margarine or'the like,

and subsequently forming the, resulting colored mixture'into' a rectangular block.

" The principal objectof the-invention'is,

the provision jof a' simple improved device 1 of this character. 7 1 Another object'is-the'provision of a device of this character which can be used with the maximum of cleanliness. .Another object is the-provision of a device of this "character which can be conveniently and quickly'employed for the purposes set forth. Y Other objects and features of theinvention willbe apparent from aconsider'ation of the 9. detailed description taken with the 'accompanying drawings, wherein, W 0 Fig. 1 is an elevational viewpartly in section, showing the position of the :parts when a mixingoperationis being performed,

j Fig. 2'is an enlarged sectional view show ing one end cover, I Fig. 3'is an enlarged fragmentary central sectional view showing the device in position for forming the butter after mixing, J Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the forming cover, V 1 v 1 Fig, 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along the'line 5'5 of Fig. 3 and looking upwardly at the'mixing member, and, 1 1 Fig; 6 is a sectional view showing a detail of the forming plunger.

In general,'the device includes a container in which the material to be mixed is placed, with a mixing member, and a follower or .I plunger adapted to be secured to the mixing member-to act as "a plunger so that the ma terial, after'being mixed, can be extruded from one end of the container in the proper shape as determined by the outlet orifice thereof;

In the embodiment shown in the ,accom-.

panying drawings, a glass container 10, of cylindrical or tubular shape is provided, in which the mixing operation takes place, the 9, container being provided with an upperapertured cover-11, and a lower closed coiver 12',- used on'the container when a mixing-opera tion is being performed. T. A cover.13' .4) i is also provided having a forming aperture; 14', this cover replacing the cover 12 .when themargarine has been completely mixed and J isiready to be formedto suitable-shape; A;

AT N -Y ]F- E I WARREN w. BELLE, or nINsnALE; ILnInoIs, issrenon ronunnnn'FAMoUs roons,

mixing'memberA- having-certain novel fea tures is provided together-with a plunger or extruding member. B.- A handle .16 is. used for. operating either of the members-A- or-B and projects through the central aperture in the upper cover and hasjarturned-over .-'p0'r tion17 forming a hand-piece.

As to the details of the mixing member,- this is in the form of a flat disc 18 with radial lyfldisposed, elongated openings" orfslots I -19--19',.leav'ing a continuous peripheral: edge 21. Between theropenings 19 are a plurality of projectionsor lugs 22 designed'tocooper ate with portions-of. thefollower ,B. ,aswill,

be hereinafter'described,itointerconnect the two memberspr These-projections 22 "are 1 plane parallel to, but above the major .plane of the disc. This also provides openings betweenthe elongated openings 19. which aid in the mixing of'the margarine bypassing some of this "substance :therethrough. A's Fig.3 shows, the handleis secured at the centerof the disc so that the handle and mix ing members aresubstantially integral.

I The follower 0r extruding plunger includes a resilientdisc-like member: 23, preferably made ofsemi-soft rubber, and top and bottom plates 24 and 26 held together so as to grip the member 23 over a substantial portion of its area,*leaving the edges free. The metal portion 26, shown more fullylin Fig. 6, has downward extensions 27 with inturned formediby partly excising portions of'the disc and bending such portions upto a common flanges 28. Alspace 29 is provided between to the plunger. Disconnection betweenthe members is obtained by reversal-of the process. Rubber disc 23' is made of ample diameter so as to compensate for irregularities in the diameter, etc., of the glass container.

Now I provide improved means for preventing seepage of material, specifically margarine, along the handle. Also,the same means will prevent dirt or foreign matter which may collect onthe handle on the outside from entering and contaminating the margarine. In accordance with this provision, means is provided engaging the handle I at a plurality of positions alongits'length so that it is successively cleaned bytheseseveral engaging points, and what material maypass one point-will be trapped bythe following point, and soon.

-More specifically, the means'includes a' coil; spring 31 fitting rather snugly against the Y handle and held in a casing 32 carried by the plunger assembly. vThiscasing hasa narrow portion 33 extending through aniaperture'in theiplunger which is'turned over alt-"34:, thus securing the casing to the plungerand also.

holding the "plunger; parts in an assembled position. A screw-threaded cap36 functions to retainthesprin g within thecasing 32, but permits withdrawal tot-the spring for clean-.

ing purposes and-thelike. A specificadvan tage'ot! the spring in this'connection .is that it can'bei'vvithdriwvn easily from theh'a'ndle,

leavingample room for cleaning. A collar 37 surrounds the casing 32and is turnedover in the'ap'erture in the top cover, and so held in place therein. This affords ample supporting surface for the casing to maintain the parts in vertical alignmentat alltimes, and

aids in the prevention'ofmaterial passing into or outof thecontainer atthis pointp In the operation ofthe'device, the cover 12 is placed on the lower end, and cover ll-removed, with the handle, mixingmember and plunger. ,Margarine is then placed, prefer-xmargarine can be'entirely'inixed and formed ably in somewhat comminuted formwithin the container, and the necessary coloring matter'added. :The whole top assembly is then placed onthe container, Withthe. cover 11 ina very few minutes,a ndwithout the necessity of touching it With jthe hands when changing from one typ'e'of tool to: another,

thez'appended claims' or in fact, doing anything except to operate the device, by holding the container in'one hand and the handle in the other. When the cover 12 is removed it is substantially free from margarine, and there is very little, ii

1 any waste, exceptsuch as adheres around the mixing member.

The device has been explained in detail as connected with the handling of margarine.

'It is obvious however, t hat-it"maybe used for other purposes, and the construction thereof maybe considerably modified. For this rea son, I do notrestrict myself to any of the structural details shown or described, the invention being limited only by the scope of What I claim is new and desire to-protect by Letters-Patent ofthe United States, ism I 1. c A 'device for mixing coloring matter a with margarine comprising acylindrical container, a top for the contain-enwith a, cone tral opening therein, a coverfor the opposite end of the container, a reciprocable mixing member havingzan operating handle extending through said central open ng, aJp-lunger;

for forming'the margarine, and responsive totheturning of the operating'handle means] for quickly, operably attaching thohandle-to the plunger within the container.

2. A :device of the character described, a

comprising a cylindrical container, a cover provided with a forming a.perture for one end of the container, an imperforatecover adapted to beinterchanged with said apex". tured cover for use during mixing,ja mixing member having ano-p-rating handle a top cover-with a central opening for the passage of said handle, a plunger aperture for the. 5 passage of said handletherethrough to permit operation of the mixing member inde pendent of said plunger, and means rendered iii) efiectivebyturning said operating han'dle i for connecting said mixing member to ;th e plunger whereby to extrude mixed material from said container through thef-forming aperture in said first mentioned cover.

3. A'device as set :forth inclaimQ, wherein said mixing member, has aplurality of projections, and said plunger is provided with a plurality of lugs under-which said projections are adapted to engage, whereby the'mixing member can be attachedto @the plunger for operation of the plungerby the handle of said mixing, member.

4.,In adevice formixing coloringmatter with margarine, a cylindrical container pro- Vided with end covers, a mixing member adapted for reciprocation longitudinally of the container, a handle secured to the mixing member and extending axially through an aperture in one of said covers, a; plunger aperturedto pass said handleanddisposed in the container behind the mixing me mber,

means for interconnecting the mixing member and plunger, and a coil spring'carried-by' fie fit

' her and plunger,

the plunger and engaging along a substantial portion of the length of the handle for preventing seepage of material along said handle.

5. In a device for mixing coloring matter with margarine, a cylindrical container, a mixing member therein, a handle for the mix ing member, a plunger through which said handle passes, a narrow cylindrical casing carried by the plunger through which said handle passes, and a coil spring housed in said casing and disposed around the handle for preventing seepage of material along said handle.

6. In a device for mixing coloring matter with margarine, a cylindrical container with end covers, a mixing member therein, a handle for the mixing member extending axially through an aperture in one of said covers, a plunger between the apertured cover and the mixing member apertured to pass the handle, means for interconnecting the mixing member and plunger, a coil spring with aplurality of helices extending around the handle and contacting therewith, and, a casing for the spring carriedby the plunger, whereby said spring is maintained stationary during movement of the mixing member alone tions upturned from the material of the disc,

prising a pair 0 flat metal plates secured together on opposite sides of a rubber disc that at least equals in diameter the inside of the container, and downturned projections formed from the material of the plunger plate adjacent the mixing member, said mixing member and said plunger being adapted to be inter-connected projections thereon.-

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 6th day-of March, 1930.

WARREN HELLE. I

by interconnecting said to keep the handle clean during the mixing I operation. I

7. In a device for mixing coloring matter with margarine, a cylindrical container with end covers, a mixing member therein, a handle for the mixing member extending axially through an aperture in one of said covers, a Y plunger between the apertured cover and the mixing member apertured to pass the handle, means for interconnecting the mixing mema coil spring with a plurality of helices extending around the handle and contacting therewith, a casing for the spring carried by the plunger, whereby said spring is maintained stationary during movement of the mixing member alone, said spring casing having a removable cover permitting extraction of the spring for cleaning purposes and the like.

8. In a device for mixing coloring matter with margarine, a cylindrical container having end covers, a mixing member including a fiat disc having radially disposed elongated openingstherein, a plurality of projections disposed in a separate plane from that of the disc, one projection between each pair of openings, a plunger having means cooperating with said projections for interconnecting said mixing member and plunger, and a handle secured to the center of the disc and extending through axial apertures in the plunger and adjacent end cover.

9. A device of the character described, comprising a cylindrical container, a mixing member in the form of a flat disc having a continuous unbroken periphery, elongated radial slots,

and radially disposed projec- 

